Puzzles of the Past: A genealogy blog by Judith Beaman Scott. A place to share my love of genealogy and history, tell some family stories before they’re forgotten, and just maybe, find some new ones. I’ll use these pages to share information about my Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia families and discuss methods to solve some genealogical puzzles. Along the way I’ll include discussions of current issues and practices in the field of genealogy.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Thelma Edith (Eastham) Corley, of Huntington, quietly passed away on Wednesday, January 29, 2014. Known since childhood as “Tinker”, she was a loving mother, grandmother, sister, and friend, and will be greatly missed. She was born February 3, 1928 in Logan County, West Virginia, to Clyde Herbert Eastham and Mary Dorcas Forbes, the fifth child in the family. Thelma was preceded in death by sisters Olive Garrett and Lucille Barker, and brothers Edward, Okey, and infant Carlton Eastham. She is survived by sisters Velma (William) McClung and Mildred (Pete) Trippett, and brothers Malcolm (Debbie), Clyde Robert, Harold (Paula), and Jerry Eastham.

Thelma lived for many years in southern California where she raised her family; they moved to Hood River, Oregon, when her husband, the late Egbert “Ted” Corley, retired.She was a long time member and employee of the Hood River Assembly of God Church. Gardening was a favored activity and she enjoyed many summer afternoons sitting in her garden among her beautiful flowers. She loved her numerous “Road Trips” throughout her life with her family and friends, and always began every trip with prayer and a verse from On the Road Again.

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"Tinker" on the right with baby brother Carlton.

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Her three children with husband Gordon Wakefield Beaman (deceased) are: Judith Scott of Portland, Oregon; Lynn Walker (Bill) of Huntington, West Virginia; and Marc Beaman (Janet) of Hilton Head, South Carolina. She is a loving and proud “Gram” to her five grandchildren, Kim and Rick Searcy, Jamaal Scott, Lisa Muto (Marc), and Marcus Beaman (Holly) and four step-grandchildren, Joshu Becken, Michael (Jodi) and Mac (Rachel) Walker, and Sara (Odo) vonWulffen.

Her fourteen great-grandchildren, to whom she is “Gram” or “Great”, are:Brynn and Ian Searcy; Lindsay, Wyatt, Charlie, and Ella Beaman; Riley and Ryan Muto; Kolbey and Jamison Walker; Kylie Seaton; and Max, Nikolaus and Juliana vonWulffen.

A Memorial Service was held on Sunday, February 2, at Beard Mortuary with her cousin Ronald Eastham officiating.

About Me

Years ago, an uncle took to an old family cemetery atop a muddy hill in Eastern Kentucky. I was hooked! I always loved the family stories, but I began looking for the people behind them. Now, years later, I continue to search for my ancestors, and try to solve the puzzles of other families as well as my own.
I am a member of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon, the Association of Professional Genealogist and participate in the ProGen 11 study group. I am an editor of The Bulletin, the quarterly publication of the Genealogical Forum of Oregon